Rain-guard device for shipping

ABSTRACT

A rain-guard device for shipping is provided that can restrain water from seeping from an end part of the lid member. A rain-guard device for shipping  20  includes a rail  19 , which is placed on a sliding hatch cover  11 , an on-board chute  22 , which is provided in the rail  19  in a travelable manner, which covers part of a hatch opening  13 , and which, furthermore, supplies cargo from a shiploader  1  into the hold  7 , and a lid member  23  to cover the rest of the hatch opening  13 . The lid member  23  is formed in an arch shape in cross section. A waterproof seal  92  for restraining water from seeping into the lid member  23  is provided at an end part of the lid member  23  opposite to the ship chute  22  among end parts of the lid member  23.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Stage application of International PatentApplication No. PCT/JP2020/032702, filed on Aug. 28, 2020, which claimspriority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-173067 filed on Sep.24, 2019, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a rain-guard device for shipping,which, when loading cargo such as grains or the like on a ship with ashiploader, prevents the cargo from getting wet from rainfall, andprevents the cargo being loaded from scattering by the wind.

Background Art

As devices for preventing cargo being loaded from getting wet fromrainfall, those described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3179239 andU.S. Pat. No. 8,818,586 Specification are known.

With the device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3179239, abuilding is constructed on the quay, and an overhanging roof is providedfor this building.

Also, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,818,586 Specificationcovers a hatch with a film that hangs from a shiploader.

However, the device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3179239is problematic in that it is difficult to cope with large vessels, and,furthermore, the cost of installation is high.

Also, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,818,586 Specification iscomprised of many pieces of equipment, and therefore is problematic inthat its control is complex and expensive, and in that, furthermore, theshiploader also has to be modified in many ways, which entails highcosts of modifications.

SUMMARY

So, the following rain-guard device for shipping may be a possiblesolution to these problems. This rain-guard device for shipping has apair of rails, which are placed on sliding hatch covers on both sides ofa hatch opening, an on-board chute, which is placed across these rails,and an expandable and contractable lid member, which closes the part ofthe hatch opening that is not covered by the on-board chute.

Such a rain-guard device for shipping can be applied to large vessels,and can be provided at low cost.

However, the lid member is configured by stretching a water-stop sheetbetween archshaped arch frames straddling the rails, and an end part isopen. Therefore, it is conceivable that rainwater may seep into a hatchopening from the open end part.

So, the present disclosure has been made in view of the abovecircumstances, and it is an object of the present disclosure to providea rain-guard device for shipping that can restrain water from seepingfrom an end part of the lid member.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a rain-guard devicefor shipping is provided, which includes a rail, which is placed on asliding hatch cover that opens and closes an upper opening of a hold, anon-board chute, which is provided in the rail in a travelable manner,which covers part of a hatch opening that is formed when the slidinghatch cover opens, and which, furthermore, supplies cargo from ashiploader into the hold, and a lid member, which is placed in bothfront and rear in a traveling direction of the on-board chute, and whichis configured to expand and contract as the on-board chute travels, inorder to cover the rest of the hatch opening. The lid member is formedin an arch shape in cross section. A waterproof seal for restrainingwater from seeping into the lid member is provided at an end part of thelid member opposite to the ship chute among end parts of the lid member.

Preferably, the waterproof seal includes a waterproof plate that closesan upper part of an end face opening of the lid member, and a waterproofsheet that closes the end face opening below the waterproof plate.

Preferably, the waterproof sheet extends downward from the rail so as tocover a side opening between the sliding hatch covers.

Preferably, the waterproof seal is arranged at a position where thewaterproof seal is covered from above by the water-stop sheet.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to restrain waterfrom seeping from an end part of the lid member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a rain-guard device for shippingaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a lid member;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a lid member as contracted;

FIG. 8 is a top view of a chute unit;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a chute unit;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view of a lid member;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a top view of a rail unit;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a joining part of a chute unit and a railunit;

FIG. 15 is a side view of a chute unit in a hanging state;

FIG. 16 is a top view showing a state in which a chute unit is placed ona sliding hatch cover;

FIG. 17 is a top view showing a state in which a chute unit and a railunit are placed on a sliding hatch cover;

FIG. 18 is a top view showing a state in which a lid member of a chuteunit is stretched;

FIG. 19 is a side view showing a state in which cargo is loaded from anon-board chute into a hold;

FIG. 20 is a top view showing a state in which an on-board chute ismoved; and

FIG. 21 is a side view showing a state in which cargo is loaded from anon-board chute that is moved, into a hold.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic front viewof a shiploader, a vessel, and a rain-guard device for shippingaccording to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspectiveview of a rain-guard device for shipping as set on a vessel, seen from ahigh oblique angle. FIG. 3 is a front view of a lid member. Note that,for ease of description, with the present embodiment, the directionsalong which the sliding hatch covers open and close are left and rightdirections, and directions that are horizontal and at right angles tothese left and right directions are front and rear directions.

First, the shiploader and the vessel will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, a shiploader 1 has a traveling part 4, which travelson a rail 3 laid on the quay 2, a rotating part 5, which is provided onthe traveling part 4 in a rotatable manner, a boom 6, which is providedon the rotating part 5 so as to be raised and lowered freely, and achute part 8, which hangs from the tip of the boom 6, and which suppliescargo such as grains or the like into a hold 7. The boom 6 is providedwith a conveyor (not shown) for transporting the cargo from the quay 2to the chute part 8. Note that the cargo is not limited to grains. Thecargo may be other bulk materials that are preferred not to get wet inthe rain.

Also, the shiploader 1 is provided with an unloading device 18, whichlifts the rail units 30 (see FIG. 13), the chute unit 58 (see FIG. 15)and so on, which will be described later, so as to move up and downfreely. The unloading device 18 is comprised of a hoist, and provided inthe boom 6 of the shiploader 1.

The vessel 9 is a cargo ship. The vessel 9 has a hold 7 with an upperopening 10, and sliding hatch covers 11, which open and close the upperopening 10. A pair of sliding hatch covers 11 are provided opposite eachother on both the left and right sides of the vessel 9, and,furthermore, provided so as to be slidable in left and right directions(directions along the vessel's width). That is, the sliding hatch covers11 are designed to open left and right, and the upper opening 10 closesas the opposing ends 12 press against each other, and the upper opening10 opens as the opposing ends 12 part from each other.

Also, the sliding hatch covers 11 are formed so as to open up the upperopening 10 at an arbitrary distance. In the following description, anopening will be formed between the sliding hatch covers 11 when thesliding hatch covers 11 open, and this opening, viewed from above, willbe referred to as “hatch opening 13”. Note that the sliding hatch covers11 may be provided so as to be slidable in front and rear directionswith respect to the vessel 9.

Next, the rain-guard device for shipping according to the presentembodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the rain-guard device forshipping 20 has rails 19, which are placed on the sliding hatch covers11, an on-board chute 22, which is provided on the rails 19 in atravelable manner, and which covers part of the hatch opening 13, andlid members 23, which cover the rest of the hatch opening 13.

The rails 19 are placed on the left and right sliding hatch covers 11 inparallel, to extend in front and rear directions. Also, the rails 19 aremade up by joining a plurality of rail pieces 21, which are shorter thanthe front-to-rear dimension of the hatch opening 13, along thelongitudinal directions (front and rear directions). The length of therails 19 are set to be substantially the same as the front-to-rearlength of the hatch opening 13 when a predetermined number of (forexample, five) rail pieces 21 are joined. Note that the rails 19 do nothave to be a joint structure. In this case, a rail 19 may be comprisedof one rail piece 21, and the length of a rail piece 21 may be set to besubstantially the same as the length of the hatch opening 13.

Each rail piece 21 is formed in a rectangular frame shape in crosssection, and, furthermore, has a slit 21 a, which extends in thelongitudinal direction, in the upper surface. The slit 21 a is formed atthe center in the widthwise direction of the rail piece 21.

Also, in each rail piece 21, a guard member 24 for preventing water fromseeping into the hatch opening 13 is provided along the longitudinaldirection of the rail piece 21, over its entire length. The guard member24 is formed in a plate shape, and is provided on the side surface ofeach rail piece 21 on the hatch opening 13, so as to stick out upward.

Also, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, a male joining piece 26 forjoining rail pieces 21 with one another is provided in one end part ofeach rail piece 21, and a female joining pieces 27 to be joined with amale joining piece 26 in a disengageable manner is provided in the otherend part. The male joining piece 26 is provided on both the left andright sides of one end part of each rail piece 21, and has an extendingpart 26 a, which extends from one end of the rail piece 21, and ajoining pin 26 b, which is provided in the tip part of the extendingpart 26 a and extends downward. The female joining piece 27 hasreceiving parts 27 a, which are provided on both the left and rightsides of the other end part of the rail piece 21, and insertion holes 27b, which are provided in the receiving parts 27 a to extend upward anddownward, and in which joining pins 26 b are to be inserted. Thereceiving parts 27 a are formed in the shape of a flat plate, and,furthermore, formed in two, upper and lower steps. Note that, inaddition to this method of connecting the rail pieces 21 using theconnecting pins 26 b, a method of providing buckles or the like on eachrail piece 21 and connecting the rail pieces 21 with one another may beused.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9, the on-board chute 22 has a travelingpart 31, which is provided on rail pieces 21 in a travelable manner, anda chute body part 32 for supplying cargo from the shiploader 1 into thehold 7.

The traveling part 31 has a traveling base part 33, which is formed in aplate shape, and a plurality of fixed casters 34 (see FIG. 4), which areprovided in the traveling base part 33. The traveling base part 33 isformed in a rectangular shape when seen from above. The fixed casters 34are the same as those of the lid members 23, which will be describedlater. A fixed caster 34 has a leg part 35, which is fixed to thetraveling base part 33 and extends downward, a shaft support part 36,which is provided at the lower end of the leg part 35, a wheel 37, whichis provided in the shaft support part 36 in a rotatable manner, and aretainer 38, which is provided in the leg part 35. The leg part 35 isformed in a rod-like shape, with a round cross section. Also, the legpart 35 is inserted in the slit 21 a of the rail piece 21. The shaftsupport part 36 is placed in the rail piece 21 and is formed in abifurcated shape. An axle 39 is provided in the shaft support part 36.The wheel 37 is provided in the axle 39 in a rotatable manner. Theretainer 38 is formed in a plate shape that is wider than the slit 21 a,and configured to interfere with the ceiling surface 21 b of the railpiece 21 when moved upward.

As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, a chute body part 32 is placed at thecenter of the traveling base part 33 in front and rear, and left andright directions. The chute body part 32 is formed in a cylindricalshape, extending in the vertical direction. The chute body part 32 has atapered pipe part 32 a, which is formed in an upper part of the chutebody part 32 and increases in diameter as it goes upward, and a straightpipe part 32 b, which is connected to the lower end of the tapered pipepart 32 a and extends vertically.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a cover member 14 to cover the tapered pipepart 32 a from above is provided in the chute part 8 of the shiploader1. The cover member 14 is made of metal. The cover member 14 has a topplate part 15, which extends radially outward from the outer peripheryof the chute part 8, an inclined plate part 16, which increases indiameter as it extends downward from the outer peripheral end of the topplate part 15, and a side plate part 17 of a cylindrical shape, whichextends downward from the lower end of the inclined plate part 16. Thetop plate part 15 is formed in an annular shape, the inner peripheralend of the top plate part 15 is connected with the outer periphery ofthe chute part 8, over the entire circumference, in a liquid-tightmanner, by means of welding or the like.

By this means, the top plate part 15 can block the rainwater that flowsdown along the chute part 8, and the cargo that is discharged from thechute part 8 can be prevented or restrained from getting wet. The sideplate part 17 is formed larger in diameter than the tapered pipe part 32a, and covers the outer periphery of the tapered pipe part 32 a. By thismeans, the side plate part 17 can prevent or restrain the rainfall fromcatching the wind and finding its way into the tapered pipe part 32 afrom the side. Also, when the human body or the like hit from the side,the inclined plate part 16 and the side plate part 17 catch the humanbody or the like with their planes to protect the human body or thelike.

Note that the cover member 14 may be made of relatively hard materialsother than metal. The cover member 14 may be made of materials forstructures such as glass fiber, reinforced plastic and so forth.

The lid members 23 are formed so as to expand and contract in front andrear directions, and placed in front and rear of the on-board chute 22.To be more specific, one end of each lid member 23 in front and reardirections is fixed to the on-board chute 22.

The other end of each lid member 23 with respect to front and reardirections is fixed to a rail 19 (see FIG. 3) near an end part of thehatch opening 13, in a detachable manner. This allows the lid members 23to expand and contract as the on-board chute 22 travels. For example,when the on-board chute 22 travels forward, the lid member 23 on thefront side of the on-board chute 22 is retracted forward, and the lidmember 23 on the rear side of the on-board chute 22 expands forward.Note that, when the rail 19 is not a joint structure, the other end ofthe lid member 23 may be fixed to the rail 19 in an unremovable manner.

As shown in FIG. 2, each lid member 23 has a plurality of bellows parts69, which are expandable and contractable in front and rear directions,and bellows support parts 70 that support the bellows parts 69.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, each bellows part 69 has a framestructure 40, which is formed to be expandable and contractable in frontand rear directions, and a first water-stop sheet 41, which is providedon the frame structure 40.

The frame structure 40 has a plurality of first arch frames 42, whichare formed in an arch-shape across left and right rail pieces 21, andtelescopic links 43, which join the first arch frames 42 with oneanother so that these arch frames 42 can be close to or distant fromeach other in front and rear directions.

Each first arch frame 42 is formed round in cross section. By thismeans, the water-stop sheet 41 in contact with the first arch frame 42is prevented or restrained from being damaged.

Furthermore, each first arch frame 42 has a center frame part 44, whichis formed in the center in left and right directions, and which extendsalong left and right directions, rising frame parts 45, which are formedin both the left and right end parts and extend in vertical directions,arc-shaped frame parts 46, which are formed in an arc shape and connectbetween the center frame part 44 and the rising frame parts 45, and linkreceiving frame parts 47, which are coupled with the telescopic links43.

The back surface of the first water-stop sheet 41 is fixed to the centerframe part 44. A fixed caster 34, which has been described earlier, isprovided at the lower end of each rising frame part 45. Furthermore, ineach rising frame part 45, a guide frame 48, which guides the firstwater-stop sheet 41 that hangs down from the arc-shaped frame part 46outwardly (in the direction to part from the hatch opening 13), isprovided. The guide frame 48 is formed to have a round cross section.The guide frame 48 has an inclined guide part 48 a, which extendsoutward and obliquely downward from an upper part of the rising framepart 45, and a vertical guide part 48 b, which extends verticallydownward from the lower end of the inclined guide part 48 a. Thelowermost position of the vertical guide part 48 b is set tosubstantially the same height as the lowermost position of the railpiece 21. The first water-stop sheet 41 is fastened to the lower end ofthe vertical guide part 48 b.

The link receiving frame parts 47 are provided symmetrically withrespect to the center of the center frame part 44 in left and rightdirections. To be more specific, each link receiving frame part 47 has aslide guide part 47 a, which is inclined and extends obliquely downwardfrom the center part in left and right directions, toward the outside inleft and right directions, and a support frame part 47 b, which isprovided in either the left or the right end part of the center framepart 44, and which extends downward and connects with the tip of theslide guide part 47 a.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, each telescopic link 43 is made up byjoining a plurality of crossing members 52, each formed by coupling apair of stick-shaped frames 50 in the shape of the letter X, via a pin51. The crossing members 52 are joined by coupling the tips ofstick-shaped frames 50 with one another via pins 51. Also, the end partsof each crossing member 52 are classified into a fixed end part 52 a,which is provided in a slide guide part 47 a so as not to be able tomove in left and right directions, and a movable end part 52 b, which isprovided in a slide guide part 47 a so as to be slidable in left andright directions. The fixed end part 52 a is positioned on the supportframe part 47 b side, and coupled with a slide guide part 47 a, via apin 51, in a rotatable manner. Also, the movable end part 52 b ispositioned on the opposite side of the support frame part 47 b, andcoupled with a slider 53 via a pin 51, in a rotatable manner. The slider53 is a cylindrical member, and provided in the slide guide part 47 a inan axially slidable manner.

The first water-stop sheet 41 is stretched between the first arch frames42 located at both front and rear ends of the bellows part 69 andconstitutes an outer skin for the bellows part 69. The first water-stopsheet 41 is a flexible sheet, made of resin. As shown in FIG. 4, thefirst water-stop sheet 41 is provided on the outside of each first archframe 42, and is fastened to each first arch frame 42. Thereby, thefirst water-stop sheet 41 is deformed to expand and contract between thefirst arch frames 42.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bellows support parts 70 are provided betweenframe structures 40 and at the end parts of the frame structures 40 infront and rear directions. As shown in FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12,Each bellows support part 70 has a pair of front and rear second archframes 71, an intermediate frame 72 (see FIG. 12) connecting thesesecond arch frames 71, a reinforcing frame part 73 for reinforcing thebellows support part 70, and a second water-stop sheet 77 stretchedbetween the front and rear second arch frames 71.

The second arch frames 71 are formed in an arch shape extending in leftand right directions, and arranged apart from each other in front andrear directions. The second arch frame 71 is formed in substantially thesame shape as the first arch frame 42, and, furthermore, set insubstantially the same outer dimensions in left and right directions andin front and rear directions. That is, the second arch frame 71 has acenter frame part 74, which is formed in the center in left and rightdirections, and which extends along left and right directions, risingframe parts 75, which are formed in both the left and right end partsand extend in vertical directions, arc-shaped frame parts 76, which areformed in an arc shape and connect between the center frame part 74 andthe rising frame parts 75.

Fixed casters 34 described above are provided at the lower end of therising frame parts 75. Further, a back surface of the second water-stopsheet 77 is fixed to the central frame part 74. The second water-stopsheet 77 is made of water-impermeable material such as a water-repellentcloth or a resin. Further, the rising frame parts 75 is provided with aguide frame 78 that guides the second water-stop sheet 77 hangingdownward from the arc-shaped frame part 76 outward (in a direction awayfrom the hatch opening 13).

The guide frame 78 is formed to have a round cross section. The guideframe 78 has an inclined guide part 78 a, which extends outward andobliquely downward from an upper part of the rising frame part 75, and avertical guide part 78 b, which extends vertically downward from thelower end of the inclined guide part 78 a. The lowermost position of thevertical guide part 78 b is set to substantially the same height as thelowermost position of the rail piece 21. The second water-stop sheet 77is fastened to the lower end of the vertical guide part 78 b. The secondwater-stop sheet 77 constitutes an outer skin for the bellows supportpart 70. The second water-stop sheet 77 is a flexible sheet, made ofresin or the like. The second water-stop sheet 77 is provided on theoutside of each second arch frame 71.

The intermediate frame 72 is formed in a shape of a round bar andextends in front and rear directions. A plurality of intermediate frames72 are provided between the center frame parts 74 at intervals in leftand right directions.

The reinforcing frame part 73 comprises a pair of side plate parts 73 aarranged on left and right sides of the second arch frame 71, areinforcing beam part 73 b provided so as to span between the side plateparts 73 a, and a plurality of suspension frames 73 c provided betweenthe intermediate frame 72 and the reinforcing beam part 73 b to suspendthe reinforcing beam part 73 b.

The side plate part 73 a is formed in a plate shape perpendicular toleft and right directions, and is provided so as to span between thefront and rear rising frame parts 75.

The reinforcing beam part 73 b is formed in a rod shape extending inleft and right directions and also in a rectangular cross section. Aplurality of legs 68 extending downward are provided on the reinforcingbeam part 73 b so as to be separated from each other in left and rightdirections. When the chute unit 58 is placed on the ship such as thesliding hatch cover 11, the legs 68 are grounded on the ship. Thesuspension frame 73 c is formed in a vertically long plate shape.Further, the suspension frame 73 c is arranged so that plate surfacefaces left and right directions.

Furthermore, the bellows support part 70 is provided with a fasteningbracket part 56 c, which is fastened, in a disengageable manner, to afastener 54, which will be described later.

Also, as shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, in the front end part andthe rear end part of the on-board chute 22, fasteners 54 for holding thelid members 23 in a contracted state are provided. The fasteners 54 areprovided symmetrically, with respect to the on-board chute 22, in frontand rear directions. Consequently, the front fastener 54 alone will bedescribed below, and the rear fastener 54 will be assigned the samereference numeral in the drawing, and the description thereof will beomitted. Also, the “front extending part 55 b” to constitute the frontfastener 54 will be read as a “rear extending part 55 b” for the rearfastener 54.

The front fastener 54 is comprised of a pair of support rods 55, whichare provided in the front end part of the traveling base part 33, andextend forward. To be more specific, a pair of support rods 55 areprovided in the upper surface of the traveling base part 33, so as to beapart from each other left and right. Each support rod 55 has an upperextending part 55 a, which is provided in the upper surface of thetraveling base part 33 and extends upward, a front extending part 55 b,which is bent from the upper end of the upper extending part 55 a andextends forward, and a lower extending part 55 c, which is provided inthe front extending part 55 b and extends downward. The upper extendingpart 55 a extends up to a position higher than the lid member 23. Thefront extending part 55 b is positioned above the lid member 23. Thelower extending part 55 c is formed in a plate shape. A pin hole (notshown) for inserting a pin 61 is formed in the lower extending part 55c. The pin hole is formed so as to extend in left and right directions.The lower extending part 55 c is fastened to the fastening bracket part56 c with a pin 61 and a retainer (not shown), in a disengageablemanner.

When transporting the on-board chute 22 between the quay 2 and thevessel, as shown in FIG. 8, the lid members 23 are retracted, and theseretracted lid members 23 are fastened with fasteners 54, so that all ofthese, together with the rails 21, make up a unit (hereinafter referredto as the “chute unit 58”).

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 13, rail pieces 21 that are not incorporatedin the chute unit 58 are made a unit consisting of a pair of left andright ones. To be more specific, left and right rail pieces 21 arejoined via guard members 24 and beam frames 28. Each beam frame 28 hasan upper step part 28 a, which extends from the rising part 24 b of theguard member 24 generally toward the center between the rail pieces 21,a lower extending part 28 b, which extends downward from the tip of theupper step part 28 a, and a lower step part 28 c, which is formedbetween these lower extending parts 28 b and extends in the horizontaldirection. The proximal end of the upper step part 28 a is connectedwith the rising part 24 b of the guard member 24. When the rail pieces21 are placed on the sliding hatch covers 11, the lower extending parts28 b and the lower step part 28 c are positioned between the slidinghatch covers 11. In particular, the distance between the left and rightextending parts 28 b is set so that the left and right extending parts28 b are brought close to the opposing ends 12 of the sliding hatchcovers 11 when the hatch opening 13 opens up at a given distance X,which is determined in advance. By this means, the positions of the railpieces 21 in left and right directions are restricted, and, for example,even when the rail pieces 21 receive a force in left and rightdirections due to the wind or the like, the rail pieces 21 are preventedor restrained from shifting in left and right directions.

Also, a plurality of beam frames 28 are provided in left and right railpieces 21, at intervals, in front and rear directions. A net 29 forpreventing fall into the hold 7 is provided to stretch between beamframes 28 that are apart front and rear.

In this way, a ladder-shaped rail unit 30 is made up by joining left andright rail pieces 21 via beam frames 28.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a water-blocking member 88 isprovided between the first water-blocking sheet 41 and the rail 19.

The water-blocking member 88 is comprised of a brush and is supported bythe rail 19. The water-blocking member 88 has a brush head 89, andbristles 90 planted on the brush head 89. The brush head 89 is formed tobe long in front and rear directions, and is supported by the rail 19via a bracket 82, which will be described later. The bristles 90 areformed of resin or the like. The bristles 90 are planted on the brushhead 89 by bundling a plurality of bristles 90, and planted along thefront and rear directions. Also, the bundle of bristles 90 is formed soas to spread from the brush head 89 toward the tip side. The tips of thebristles 90 are brought into contact with the inner surface of the firstwater-blocking sheet 41. The water-blocking member 88 is comprised of abrush and therefore air-permeable. By this means, the pressure in thehold 7 can be released.

Note that the water-blocking member 88 is not limited to a brush. Thewater-blocking member 88 should just be able to stop the water throughthe gap between the water-blocking sheet 41 and the rail 19. Forexample, the water-blocking member 88 may be comprised of a soft resinsheet, or a mesh-shaped soft resin sheet or the like.

Further, the rain-guard device for shipping 20 includes a first seal 80and a second seal 81 for sealing between the rail 19 and the slidinghatch cover 11.

The first seal 80 is formed of a soft resin such as rubber into asheet-like shape.

One end part of the first seal 80 is supported by the rail 19, and theother end part of the first seal 80 is brought into contact with theupper surface of the sliding hatch cover 11. To be more specific, thefirst seal 80 is supported by the rail 19 via a bracket 82. Even whenthe sliding hatch cover 11 is deformed, the blocking of water by thefirst seal 80 is ensured by appropriately selecting the ground contactlength of the first seal 80 with respect to the sliding hatch cover 11.

The bracket 82 is formed so as to extend continuously in the directionthe rail 19 (in front and rear directions) extends, and, furthermore,extends in the direction opposite to the hatch opening 13 (that is,extends outward in the widthwise direction of the lid member 23). Also,an inclined attachment surface 82 a that is inclined obliquely downwardis formed at the tip part of the bracket 82, and one end part of thefirst seal 80 is attached to the inclined attachment surface 82 a. To bemore specific, one end part of the first seal 80 is placed on top of theinclined attachment surface 82 a, and bolted to the bracket 82constituting the inclined attachment surface 82 a, with a bolt 91. Bythis means, the first seal 80 is inclined obliquely downward from oneend part toward the other end part, and the other end part of the firstseal 80 is placed on top of and along the upper surface of the slidinghatch cover 11. Then, the middle part between one end part and the otherend part of the first seal 80 is curved so as to allow the angle gapproduced between one end part and the other end part.

By this means, a force is produced, in the direction to restore theshape of the first seal 80, in the middle part, and this force pressesthe other end part against the sliding hatch cover 11. Furthermore, inthe bracket 82, the brush head 89 of the water-blocking member 88 issupported via one end part of the first seal 80. To be more specific,the brush head 89 is placed on top of one end part of the first seal 80,and bolted to the bracket 82, with a common bolt 91, together with oneend part of the first seal 80. By this means, the water-blocking member88 and the first seal 80 are connected so as to be continuous, so thatwater can be blocked in the range from the sliding hatch cover 11 to thewater-blocking sheet 41.

Note that the other end part of the first seal 80 is placed on top ofthe upper surface of the sliding hatch cover 11, but this is by no meanslimiting. The other end part of the first seal 80 may be brought intocontact with the upper surface of the sliding hatch cover 11. Also,although the inclined attachment surface 82 a has been described to beformed in the bracket 82, but the inclined attachment surface 82 a maybe omitted. In this case, one end part of the first seal may be formedto bend with respect to the other end part.

Also, the lowermost position of the water-blocking member 88 and theuppermost position of the first seal 80 are set to substantially thesame height as the lowermost position of the water-blocking sheet 41. Bythis means, the rainwater that flows on the sliding hatch cover 11 andthe rainwater that falls between the sliding hatch cover 11 and thewater-blocking sheet 41 can be blocked by the sheet-shaped first seal80. Then, the rainwater that is blown up on the back side of thewater-blocking sheet 41 by wind or the like can be blocked by thebrush-shaped water-blocking member 88 while maintaining the airpermeability.

Note that the lowermost position of the water-blocking member 88 and theuppermost position of the first seal 80 may be higher than the lowermostposition of the water-blocking sheet 41. In this case, the upper endheight and the inclination of the first seal 80 may be set so as not tocontact the guide frame 48.

Also, a plurality of first seals 80 are placed side by side in front andrear directions so as to cover the entire length of the side surface ofthe seal holder 83. Note that the first seals 80 may be comprised of onesheet. In this case, the length of the first seals 80 in front and reardirections may be set to be the same as the seal holder 83 or longerthan the seal holder 83.

The second seal 81 is comprised of a lip seal and is interposed betweenthe rail piece 21 and the sliding hatch cover 11. The second seal 81 hasa base part 81 a, which is formed in a thick plate-like shape, and a lippart 81 b, which extends obliquely downward from one side of the basepart 81 a toward the other side. The lip part 81 b is formed in atongue-like shape that is thinner than the base part 81 a, and is set sothat the dimension in the thickness direction becomes smaller from thebase end toward the tip. The second seal 81 is placed so that the tip ofthe lip part 81 b faces the direction opposite to the hatch opening 13(the direction where rainwater is present).

Also, a seal holder 83 is provided at the bottom of the rail 19, and thesecond seal 81 is held by the seal holder 83. The seal holder 83 has anattaching base part 84, which is integrally attached to the rail 19, anda pair of leg parts 85 a and 85 b, which are provided on the bottomsurface of the attaching base part 84 at intervals in left and rightdirections.

The attaching base part is formed in a plate-like shape that is long infront and rear directions. The leg parts 85 a and 85 b are placed onboth the left and right sides of the second seal 81 in order to hold thesecond seal 81 from left and right. The leg parts 85 a and 85 b may befastened to the attaching base part 84 with fasteners, such as bolts, ina detachable manner. The length of the leg parts 85 a and 85 b in frontand rear directions is set to be the same as the length of the attachingbase part 84 in front and rear directions.

Also, the leg parts 85 a and 85 b are provided with claws 86 a and 86 bfor locking the second seal 81. The claw 86 a formed in the leg part 85a of the hatch opening 13 side is engaged with the lower surface on thebase end side of the lip part 81 b. The claw 86 b formed in the leg part85 b of the opposite side of the hatch opening 13 is engaged with thelower surface of the base part 81 a.

Also, third seals 87 a and 87 b are provided on the bottom surfaces ofthe leg parts 85 a and 85 b. The third seals 87 a and 87 b are formed ina sheet-like shape, and provided over the entire length of the leg parts85 a and 85 b.

Note that, if sufficient sealability can be achieved with the firstseals 80 alone, the second seal 81 and the third seals 87 a and 87 b maybe omitted.

By the way, the lid member 23 is formed in an arch-shaped cross section,and an end face opening is formed at an end part in front and reardirections. Therefore, it is conceivable that rainwater will enter thehatch opening 13 from the end face opening on the side opposite to theonboard chute 22.

Therefore, the bellows support part 70 forming the end part on the sideopposite to the onboard chute 22 among the end parts of the lid member23 is provided with a waterproof seal 92 for restraining water fromseeping into the lid member 23.

The waterproof seal 92 is arranged at a position where it is coveredfrom above by the second water-stop sheet 77, and is supported by thereinforcing frame part 73. The waterproof seal 92 includes a waterproofplate 93 that closes an upper part of the end face opening of thebellows support part 70, and a waterproof sheet 94 that closes the endface opening of the bellows support part 70 below the waterproof plate93.

The waterproof plate 93 is made of a resin such as rubber having aself-supporting hardness, and is supported by the reinforcing frame part73. Specifically, the suspension frame 73 c constituting the reinforcingframe part 73 is provided with a rod-shaped mounting seat 95 extendingin left and right directions so as to project on the side opposite tothe onboard chute 22. A lower end of the waterproof plate 93 is attachedto the mounting seat 95 at a position opposite to the onboard chute 22.Further, an upper end of the waterproof plate 93 is formed in a shapealong the second water-stop sheet 77 and the intermediate frame 72, andis in contact with the second water-stop sheet 77 and the intermediateframe 72. As a result, wind and rain are restrained from entering thelid member 23 from between the second water-stop sheet 77 and thewaterproof plate 93, and wind and rain are restrained from entering thelid member 23 from between the intermediate frame 72 and the waterproofplate 93. Note that material of the waterproof plate 93 is not limitedto resin. The material of the waterproof plate 93 may be any material aslong as it can restrain water from seeping into the lid member 23, andmay be, for example, metal, wood, or the like.

The waterproof sheet 94 is made of a soft resin that can be wound, andis provided on the waterproof plate 93. Further, the waterproof sheet 94is formed so as to extend downward from the rail 19. This is because,when the sliding hatch covers 11 are separated from each other to formthe hatch opening 13, an opening (hereinafter, side opening 96) isformed also between the sliding hatch covers 11 below the rail 19(between the front end faces of the sliding hatch covers 11, and betweenthe rear end faces of the sliding hatch covers 11). By extending thewaterproof sheet 94 below the rail 19, the side opening 96 can beclosed, and it is possible to restrain water from seeping into the hold7 from the side opening 96. Specifically, the waterproof sheet 94includes a wide part 94 a formed at a position above the rail 19, and anarrow part 94 b formed at a position below the wide part 94 a.

The wide part 94 a is formed so as to have both left and right sides incontact with the side plate part 73 a, and an upper end part isliquid-tightly attached to the waterproof plate 93. As a result, it ispossible to restrain water from entering the lid member 23 inside theupper end part and both the left and right sides of the wide part 94 a.

The width dimension b of the narrow part 94 b is set to be smaller thanthe distance c between the left and right rails 19 and larger than thedistance d between the sliding hatch covers 11. As a result, the narrowpart 94 b can cover the gap between the rails 19 without interferingwith the rail 19. Further, a length of the narrow part 94 b in thevertical direction is set so that the lower end of the narrow part 94 breaches lower position than the sliding hatch cover 11 when it isunfolded and hung down. As a result, the side opening 96 between thesliding hatch covers 11 is covered with the narrow part 94 b of thewaterproof sheet 94. Further, when the lid member 23 is retracted andunitized into the chute unit 58, the waterproof sheet 94 is rolled upand fastened by a fastener (not shown) so as to maintain the rolledshape. Further, the waterproof sheet 94 is arranged so that a base endposition is offset into the lid member 23 so that the waterproof sheet94 is accommodated in the bellows support part 70 when it is rolled up.

The mounting structure of the waterproof sheet 94 is not limited to theabove. For example, the waterproof sheet 94 may be attached to themounting seat 95. In this case, the waterproof sheet 94 and thewaterproof plate 93 may be separated from each other in the verticaldirection. In this case, it is preferable that the space between thewaterproof sheet 94 and the waterproof plate 93 is liquid-tightly closedby the mounting seat 95.

Further, the mounting seat 95 may be provided on either the second archframe 71 or the intermediate frame 72. Further, the mounting seat 95 maybe omitted. In this case, for example, the waterproof plate 93 may beprovided on any of the reinforcing frame part 73, the second arch frame71, and the intermediate frame 72.

Next, effects of the present embodiment will be described below.

When the rain-guard device 20 for shipping is installed in the vessel 9,as shown in FIG. 15, the unloading device 18 provided in the ship loader1 is used to transport the chute unit 58 and the rail unit 30 from thequay 2, onto the vessel, on the sliding hatch covers 11, for example. Atthis time, the chute unit 58 contacts the grounds with legs 68 andstands by itself.

Then, the sliding hatch covers 11 are opened by a predetermined distanceX, to form the hatch opening 13 between the sliding hatch covers 11.Here, the predetermined distance X is a dimension that is determined bythe length of the beam frame 28, L1, and the length of the lower part 28c, L2, and is set to a dimension that is smaller than the length L2 ofthe beam frame 28 and larger than the length L1 of the lower part 28 c.The predetermined distance X is 2 m, for example.

Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the chute unit 58 is installed at the centerof the hatch opening 13 in front and rear directions (longitudinaldirection). At this time, the chute unit 58 is installed so that theleft and right rail pieces 21 are both positioned on the sliding hatchcovers 11.

After this, as shown in FIG. 17, the rail unit 30 is installed in thehatch opening 13 in front and rear of the chute unit 58. At this time,the female joining piece 27 (see FIG. 14) and the male joining piece 26of neighboring rail units 30 are coupled with each other.

To be more specific, by inserting the joining pin 26 b of the malejoining piece 26 into the insertion hole 27 b of the female joiningpiece 27, the female joining piece 27 and the male joining piece 26 arecoupled. By this means, rail pieces 21 that neighbor each other in frontand rear are fixed in a positioned state. Also, at this time, in eachrail piece 21, a first seal 80 is fixed to via the bracket 82.Therefore, the chute unit 58 and the rail pieces 21 of the rail unit 30are placed on the sliding hatch covers 11, so that the tip parts of thefirst seals 80 are placed on top of and pressed against the uppersurface 11 a of the sliding hatch cover 11. Consequently, even if theupper surface 11 a of the sliding hatch cover 11 is deformed due towelding or the like and has bumps, it is possible to neutralize thesebumps and block water. That is, even when the sliding hatch covers 11are deformed due to welding or the like, it is possible to prevent orrestrain the seeping of wind and water from outside the sliding hatchcovers 11, by appropriately selecting the ground contact length of thefirst seal 80 with respect to the sliding hatch covers 11.

Following this, the pin 61 is removed from the lower extending part 55 cand the fastening bracket part 56 c shown in FIG. 10, to release thefixing of the lid member 23.

Then, as shown in FIG. 18, each lid member 23 is expanded. When the lidmembers 23 are expanded to near the front and rear end parts of thehatch opening 13, the end parts of the lid members 23 are fixed to therail pieces 21 with bolts or the like. By this means, the hatch opening13 is closed, over its entire length, with the on-board chute 22 and thelid members 23. After that, the waterproof sheet 94 in a state of beingrolled up and housed in the bellows support part 70 is unfolded and hungdownward. As a result, the lid member 23 below the waterproof plate 93is closed by the waterproof sheet 94, and the side opening 96 betweenthe sliding hatch covers 11 is closed by the waterproof sheet 94. Inthis state, rain does not enter the hold 7 except for a part of thechute main body 32. The chute main body 32 may be provided with a lid(not shown) for closing an upper end opening thereof, if necessary.

Following this, as shown in FIG. 19, the chute part 8 of the shiploader1 is inserted in the chute body part 32. After the chute part 8 of theshiploader 1 is inserted in the chute body part 32, the upper and sideparts of the chute body part 32 are covered by the cover member 14.

When cargo B is supplied in the hold 7, as shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21,cargo B is supplied from the chute part 8 of the ship loader 1 into thechute body part 32, and, meanwhile, the ship loader 1 is allowed travelappropriately in front and rear directions. At this time, the lidmembers 23 expand and contract as the on-board chute 22 travels.

Therefore, even if the on-board chute 22 travels, the hatch opening 13is not opened. Also, as the on-board chute 22 travels, the loadingposition of cargo B moves forward and backward, so that it is possibleto disperse cargo B in front and rear directions in the hold 7, and loadcargo B with a high filling rate. Note that the one-dot chain lines inthe drawing show the rearmost position when the on-board chute 22travels backward. The range in which the on-board chute 22 can travel isdetermined by the longest length and the shortest length of the lidmembers 23 as expanded and contracted.

If the opening between the sliding hatch covers 11 is airtightly andfixedly closed, pressure inside the hold 7 rises by supplying the load Binto the hold 7, and an upward force acts on the rain-guard device 20for shipping. In this case, it is conceivable that the rain-guard device20 for shipping partially floats and moves unstably, and rainwater enterbetween the sliding hatch covers 11.

However, in the present embodiment, the water-blocking member 88 isbreathable, and the side opening 96 between the sliding hatch covers 11is closed by the waterproof sheet 94 hanging from above. Therefore, evenif the pressure inside the hold 7 rises above the outside air, thepressure can escape through the water-blocking member 88 and can escapeby pushing away the waterproof sheet 94. Therefore, it is possible tosuppress an increase in pressure in the hold 7 when the load B issupplied into the hold 7, and it is possible to stably prevent orsuppress water from seeping from between the sliding hatch covers 11.

Also, when loading cargo in the wind and rain, the water-blocking member88, the first seal 80, the second seal 81, and the third seals 87 a and87 b prevent or restrain water from seeping from left and right of thelid member 23. To be more specific, the water-blocking member 88 and thefirst seal 80 stop the rainwater from seeping in, outside the left andright rails 19. Also, when the first seal 80 receives wind from theouter side in the width direction of the lid member 23, the first seal80 is more strongly pressed against the sliding hatch cover 11 due tothe force of the wind, and guides the wind upward. Therefore, it ispossible to effectively prevent or restrain the rainwater on the windfrom reaching the rails 19. Furthermore, the wind passes between thebristles 90 of the water-blocking member 88 when flowing upward, and therainwater contacting the bristles 90 is separated from the wind.Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rainwater from reaching thespace on the hatch opening 13 side beyond the water-blocking member 88.Also, the wind having passed through the water-blocking member 88 passesthrough the other water-blocking member 88 again, and flows out of thebellows part 69.

Also, when rainwater passes the first seal 80 and seeps into the rail 19side, the second seal 81 stops the rainwater right below the rail 19.The second seal 81 is comprised of a lip seal, and receives the weightof the on-board chute 22 and the lid member 23, and is pressed againstthe sliding hatch cover 11. Therefore, the second seal 81 is pressedagainst the sliding hatch cover 11 with a relatively strong force, andcan stop seeping of rainwater effectively. Also, if bumps exist rightbelow the rail 19, the third seals 87 a and 87 b are deformed to matchthese bumps. Therefore, it is possible to neutralize part or all of theheight of the bumps, and improve the water blocking effect of the secondseal 81. Also, the third seals 87 a and 87 b block water on both theleft and right sides of the second seal 81.

Consequently, three layers of seals are provided along the directionwhere rainwater might seep in, and the water-blocking effect can beimproved.

Further, the waterproof seal 92 prevents or restrains water from seepingfrom the front and rear directions of the lid member 23. Specifically,the waterproof plate 93 of the waterproof seal 92 restrains water fromseeping from the upper end of the lid member 23 on the side opposite tothe onboard chute 22. The waterproof sheet 94 of the waterproof seal 92restrains water from seeping from the lid member 23 below the waterproofplate 93, and also restrains water from seeping from the side opening 96between the sliding hatch covers 11.

Although an embodiment of present disclosure has been described above indetail, the present disclosure is also capable of other embodiments suchas the following:

(1) The bellows support part 70 is arranged at the end of the lid member23 on the side opposite to the onboard chute 22, but is not limited tothis. For example, the lid member 23 may consist of a single bellowspart 69. In this case, the waterproof seal 92 may be provided on thebellows part 69. Further, in this case, the waterproof seal 92 may bearranged at a position where it is covered by the first waterproof sheet41 from above.

(2) The waterproof seal 92 includes the waterproof plate 93 and thewaterproof sheet 94, but is not limited to. For example, the waterproofseal 92 may be comprised of the waterproof sheet 94 only. In this case,the waterproof sheet 94 may be formed so as to also close an upper partof the lid member 23.

(3) The water-blocking member 88 may be provided directly on the railpiece 21.

(4) Further, if the sealing property between the sliding hatch cover 11and the rail 19 can be sufficiently secured by the second seal 81 andthe third seals 87 a and 87 b, the first seal 80 may be omitted.

While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described withrespect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated bythose of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to thisdisclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rain-guard device for shipping, comprising: arail, which is placed on a sliding hatch cover that opens and closes anupper opening of a hold; an on-board chute, which is provided in therail in a travelable manner, which covers part of a hatch opening thatis formed when the sliding hatch cover opens, and which, furthermore,supplies cargo from a shiploader into the hold; and a lid member, whichis placed in both front and rear in a traveling direction of theon-board chute, and which is configured to expand and contract as theon-board chute travels, in order to cover the rest of the hatch opening;wherein the lid member is formed in an arch shape in cross section, anda waterproof seal for restraining water from seeping into the lid memberis provided at an end part of the lid member opposite to the ship chuteamong end parts of the lid member.
 2. The rain-guard device for shippingaccording to claim 1, wherein: the waterproof seal includes a waterproofplate that closes an upper part of an end face opening of the lidmember, and a waterproof sheet that closes the end face opening belowthe waterproof plate.
 3. The rain-guard device for shipping according toclaim 1, wherein: the waterproof sheet extends downward from the rail soas to cover a side opening between the sliding hatch covers.
 4. Therain-guard device for shipping according to claim 1, wherein: thewaterproof seal is arranged at a position where the waterproof seal iscovered from above by the water-stop sheet.
 5. The rain-guard device forshipping according to claim 2, wherein: the waterproof sheet extendsdownward from the rail so as to cover a side opening between the slidinghatch covers.
 6. The rain-guard device for shipping according to claim2, wherein: the waterproof seal is arranged at a position where thewaterproof seal is covered from above by the water-stop sheet.
 7. Therain-guard device for shipping according to claim 3, wherein: thewaterproof seal is arranged at a position where the waterproof seal iscovered from above by the water-stop sheet.